Closer
by Raine Ishida
Summary: Shikamaru thought it was just a one-night stand. But he didn't know what he was getting himself into when he went home with a strange girl one night. What followed left him wishing he'd just stayed home... AU, unusual pairings.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these Naruto characters.

Note: This is dedicated to Breena Kaye, who asked me for a Shikamaru story. Sorry, I know this wasn't what you were expecting, darlin'. ;)

**Closer**

By Raine Ishida

**Chapter One**

He would be lying if he said he didn't like when she danced with him. He would be lying if he said he didn't like when she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself against him, moving to the music. Against his body. He didn't mind at all. And he wasn't lying.

She was a curious sort. She didn't say much, not at first. She didn't have to. Her body said enough. He'd spotted her on the dance floor, dancing alone, but enjoying herself. She'd glanced up and met his eyes, smiling and waving him over with a beckoning finger. He couldn't help himself. Her brown eyes had called to him, begged him to come to her, to see what she was all about.

She'd introduced herself as Tenten, and asked his name. "Shikamaru," she purred with a sultry grin. "That's a mouthful." And then she just kept dancing. Deep into the heat of the night, she just kept dancing. And he let her. He let her hang on to him. And while he let her hold on, she let him as well. He knew it wasn't exactly his place to put his hands all over her body while they danced, but she hadn't slapped him yet. In fact, her smile was continuous.

And he was single again anyway.

Temari had broken up with him for what she said would be 'the last time'. Sure. He knew what that meant. It meant she had time to be pissy and angry about nothing, so he was going to go out and have some fun until she was ready to stop being a child. How was it that she was such a child when she was three years his senior? Shikamaru ground his teeth and scowled. Tenten's free hand found his face and cupped his cheek in her palm.

"Don't look so tense. Relax a little, would you? We're here to have fun." Her voice was like a drug. It made him dizzy, the way she purred it into his ear, sending shivers down his spine. It was a cheap thrill, really, but he was overdosing. He wanted to hear her speak again.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked him a little while later. By then he'd stopped roaming. His hands had settled on her hips and lower back and they weren't moving. They were keeping her with him.

He shook his head. "No, I don't have a girlfriend," he replied. He studied her face, trying to discern her expression. Her eyes were full of many emotions: mischief, amusement, power, lust… He liked them all. They gave him a thrill. Her lips were painted with gloss, her mouth full with only the corners turned up in a slight smile.

"That's good," she murmured. The next thing he knew he was being dragged out the exit and into the back alleyway. A lot of space between them still hadn't accumulated, and he knew that the cold air on his skin wouldn't be welcomed. He was, by that time, accustomed to her body heat against him.

She grinned as he frowned. "Where are we going?"

"My place?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly, but still holding one of his hands. "It's close."

"Yeah, sure," he said, ignoring the warning bell that sounded in the back of his brain. The warning bell that told him not to go home with strange girls. The warning bell, however, wasn't ringing as loud as the bell that rang below his belt. That bell was a lot louder, and easier to listen to. So it was that one he would heed.

Following her aimlessly, Shikamaru watched her walk with purpose, even as she'd turn and give him a flirtatious grin every now and again.

Ten minutes from the club and she was unlocking the door of a humble apartment. She'd closed the door and put down her keys and before he'd even had a chance to look around her body heat had returned to him. Her face was so very close now, he could just reach up and tilt her head…

"Nervous?" she whispered. Shikamaru grinned and took her hips, holding her tightly.

"Hey. Who's running this show?"

She grinned once more as he leaned forward and captured her lips with his, completing the cycle of stranger kissing stranger. Her lips were sweet, her mouth altogether pleasant. Her kiss dizzied his head until he couldn't think, and when he was able to think straight, he was in her bed.

He frowned, lifting the covers and discovering that he wasn't dressed. His clothes were in an arrayed heap on the floor, he noticed, across the room. Had they had sex? He didn't remember. She hadn't drugged him, had she? He really wished she hadn't. He was certain he'd wanted to remember an experience like that with her. At least, he hoped he did. He hoped they'd been safe. But where was she, anyway?

She walked into the room and smiled when she saw that he was awake. "Hey."

"Hi," he greeted her cautiously. She was wearing a satin robe, closed but not tightly. It only fell to her knees. As far as he could tell, which wasn't much for the darkness, she wasn't dressed either. But he could be imagining things. He knew he wanted to be.

"Did we…?" he started asking. She crawled onto the bed next to him and smiled.

"Yes. And it was incredible. Don't you remember?"

"No," Shikamaru said, frowning. Disappointed. "What time is it?"

"Three."

He jumped, startled. The next day already?!

"In the morning," Tenten said, taking his hands and laughing. Shikamaru's heart settled a little bit and he breathed easier.

"Wow. Did I pass out or something?"

"You were exhausted after. I thought it best not to bother you. But now that you're awake…"

He pursed his lips. What was she going to suggest? His heart began to pound again. _Oh please, oh please…_

"I'm not keeping you here if you need to be somewhere," she started. "But I wouldn't mind if you stayed. I'm sure you'd enjoy yourself a lot more here. There are still many hours of the night to be had."

There it was. That coy smile, the gentle squeezing of his palms as she let go of his hands. Permission.

She stood and walked into what he assumed was her bathroom, and closed the door. She rustled around some, and then opened the door, still smiling that coy, same smile. She turned the light off and returned to the bed. He remained sitting up, watching her.

"What?" she asked, with a soft smile.

He took her wrist and pulled her closer, so she was against his chest. "I really wish I'd remembered it."

"There's always a second act," she whispered, her breath sweet against his lips. Toothpaste? Probably. But cinnamon flavoured? Interesting. Spicy.

She kissed him then, slowly, sweetly. Her lips tasted incredible. There was that cinnamon flavour again. With expert fingers, he undid the knot at her waist and slipped the silky robe off. Her skin was pale, smooth and perfect. He smirked. "I'm sorry I don't remember this the first time." His eyes roved over her. "_Really_ sorry."

Tenten smiled and trailed her index finger down his chest. "Well then. We'll just have to make this time _very_ memorable."

…

Naruto choked on his coffee when Shikamaru walked into the kitchen.

"Oh _man!_ What the hell happened to you?!"

Shikamaru frowned and covered his neck. He knew what was there. She'd left hickeys all over him. Lucky for him, most of them were covered by his shirt. "Shut up."

"Seriously? Is that where you were last night? Was it _awesome?_ Who is she?"

Shikamaru sat down across from his roommate at the kitchen table and smirked, recalling the events he could remember. "Yeah. It was…weird, but definitely awesome."

"Did you know her?"

"Nope."

"That's unlike you," Naruto replied with a raised brow, taking another swig of coffee.

"Says the kid who doesn't experiment _at all._"

Naruto grinned, laughing. "I don't have to experiment. I've already landed myself some permanence. It might do you some good to do the same."

Shikamaru stood up and began to fix himself some coffee. "Yeah, but at least my dalliances are with women."

Naruto snorted. "Don't knock it 'til you try it."

"I'd rather not, thanks."

Shikamaru sat in silence at the table for a few minutes before Naruto slurped the last of his coffee and set the cup on the table with a loud bang. "So are you going to see her again?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I'm not sure I want to. She's a bit freaky for my tastes."

"Freaky's not all bad," Naruto said with a grin.

"No, but…she's like…freaky-freaky."

"Like chains and whips and crap?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

"Probably. I got out of there before she could try anything but…she has a few locked cupboards and stuff and I didn't want to take my chances."

"Maybe she's just a secretive person."

"Who brings unusual people home to experiment on them," Shikamaru said without expression.

Naruto stood and left the newspaper for his roommate. "Here. Look at some bad news. Might do you some good."

"Where are you going?"

"Sasuke's taking me out for lunch," the blond replied.

Shikamaru glanced at the clock. "But it's not…oh _crap_! When did it end up being 11am?"

"Since you took a million years to get home." Naruto put his hands on Shikamaru's shoulders. "Now go have a shower and wash her off of you, then do something to forget about her. It was a fun, though stupid, idea at the time. I'll see you later."

Shikamaru put his forehead on the table, groaning as Naruto bid him goodbye for the day.

"What did I get myself into last night…?"

…

Okay. So chapter 2 won't be as…um. Sexual. I promise. ^^


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Honestly.

**Closer**

By Raine Ishida

**Chapter Two**

Shikamaru was on his way to class, his cup of coffee gripped tightly in his fist as he forced himself to stay awake. It had been a week since his foolish dalliance with the strange but intoxicating girl from the club, and he vowed he wouldn't let it happen again. He had a reputation to keep, after all.

He hated school. He only went because he didn't want to flip burgers or sell t-shirts for the rest of his days. As such, he could only afford to go to university because he sold t-shirts on weekends. Most of his tuition had been paid off due to a hefty scholarship he'd earned with an entrance exam and essay, some stupid "Why do you want to attend here" and another, "What will you do with your degree" type questions. He'd made up some crap about changing the world with his mind, making it a better place. They'd thought him a perfect candidate for their scholarship program.

And so they'd sent him a hefty check towards his tuition, he'd enrolled, and they'd regretted it since. He hated doing schoolwork, and spent most of the time in lectures sleeping on his desk. Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, had nothing to say about it. "He's my lazy, though intelligent son. What do you want me to do about it? If he wants this degree, he'll snap out of it eventually."

When Shikamaru was bothered enough to pick up a pencil, he wrote fluently, sentences that brought tears to the eyes of emotional professors. He aced his exams without picking up a book and wrote 750-word essays in 50 words or less. His brain was fine. His attitude was what needed work.

And so with a groan, he walked over the campus' grassy exterior and opened the doors to what would be another boring day.

…

Shikamaru needed fresh air. His class had been as boring as usual and he'd spent most of it doodling in his notebook because his teachers had caught him sleeping behind his textbooks too many times.

Crossing the grass again, he figured it would be a great day to flop down onto it and stare at the clouds, but there were geese walking around. He didn't feel like lying in poop.

He scoured the grass for a poop-free area and flopped onto it, closing his eyes once his hands were behind his head. There weren't a lot of clouds to watch, and his eyes were heavy anyway.

He managed to doze for at least 20 minutes before a shadow obscured his sunlight. He frowned, his brows furrowed as he opened his eyes. "What? You're blocking my sunshine," he muttered, trying to discern the face that hovered over him.

He sat up. A female. The girl from last night.

"Hi," she said softly, kneeling next to him. "Good nap?"

"It was," he stated, raising an eyebrow. "How'd you find me?"

Tenten grinned. "I go to this school," she said. "I knew I'd run into you eventually. _Everyone_ knows who you are."

"That's comforting," he muttered.

"So anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tonight."

"I'm pretty tired, to be honest," he started to excuse himself. She grabbed his arm, her brows furrowed with concern.

"No, no, nothing big! Just for coffee or something. Please? We could even go right now."

"Coffee?"

"I'll even buy," she said with a pleasant smile.

Shikamaru's eyebrows raised significantly. "Fair enough. Where to?" he asked, standing and offering her his hand.

"The Starbucks just down the street?" she asked, taking his arm. He wasn't exactly keen on her closeness, but he humoured her.

"Let's go."

…

They talked for an hour, she giggled, he attempted to push out the occasional smile, but to be honest, he wasn't interested in her. At all.

She was pretty enough, but when he looked at her, he saw a mistake. A one-night stand, a fling. When he looked at her, he wished she was someone else.

Temari might never take him back, and he knew that, but he wanted her still.

He drew up a story for Tenten while she chattered about how she loved to make cookies on rainy days.

"So, tell me more about yourself!" she finally said, wrapping her fingers around her half-emptied coffee cup.

Shikamaru looked at her and frowned. His tale was fabricated, but hopefully the apathy in his face would translate as compassion and guilt.

"Listen, Tenten…I haven't been honest with you."

Her expression changed then. Her eyebrows furrowed gently with concern.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

He bit his lip. "You're a really great girl and all, but to be honest, I'm seeing someone right now…"

Tenten's eyes turned to slate. "You mean you cheated on her. Or is this just a 'let's be friends' speech? Or is it even that?" she asked, her voice getting higher with every question.

Shikamaru put his hand on her arm to settle her. "Look. …I didn't really cheat on her because we were 'on a break', technically, but…we've made up. I feel really bad because I didn't want to hurt either of you, and it was pretty irresponsible to do what we did."

"We're both adults, Shikamaru. We can take responsibility for our actions," she spat. Her eyes were narrow with anger.

"Yes, but…at the same time, I need to be true to her. I really care about her," he said, thinking about Temari. Praying, _praying_ she'd take him back so he could tell himself he wasn't really lying to this girl sitting across from him.

"So you just go randomly sleep with some girl you meet at a club?"

"Tenten-"

"No, it's okay, I've heard enough. Sorry I wasted your time then," she said softly. "Enjoy your coffee." Standing up, she turned away from him for a moment before turning back. "I'm really sorry," she whispered. But was that sincerity….from her? Or for him?? He didn't know. The way she whispered and the way she didn't look at him when she said it showered chills over his body.

Tenten stormed out of the Starbucks and down the street. Shikamaru sighed. It was over. Now, to call Temari and make her take him back so he could say he wasn't lying. Hopefully she'd go for it.

…

Tenten was sitting on the ground in her underwear and a tank top, staring at the screen of her laptop when he walked in later that evening, closing the door behind him softly. She didn't even glance up when he stopped next to her, dropping his messenger bag to the ground with a thud.

"Hi," she said, noting down something on some paper next to her. A phone number, he noticed.

He frowned. "You look amazing."

She glanced up and raised an eyebrow. "You've seen this outfit before."

He smirked and shook his head, adjusting his glasses with his index finger. "My professor is on to me, I think."

Tenten closed the laptop with a snap and pulled him down to the ground next to her. "_What?_" she hissed.

He shrugged and sighed heavily. "I mean, I did kind of bring it upon myself…I asked him a rather complicated ventricular question today, and all the other students stared at me like I was on drugs."

Tenten smirked. "What happened?"

"He took me aside after class and asked me if I'd been reading ahead. I know too much about the internal workings of the human anatomy to be in class with such simpletons."

"I know that," Tenten snapped. "What else did he say?"

"Well, after some careful persuasion…he eventually believed me. I told him I'd been reading ahead."

"Like, a _decade _ahead! You're the smartest person in that class. Don't try and tell me you belong there. You should be a doctor already," Tenten said, rolling her eyes. "You need your own morgue."

"Wouldn't that be something," he said with a chuckle, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You bring me victims and I autopsy them for kicks."

"Kabuto," Tenten said with a grin, pushing his shoulder playfully. "I mean it. He doesn't suspect you?"

"I don't think so. What's to suspect? The only thing evil about me is my soul."

"Because the rest of you is so perfect," Tenten said sarcastically, standing and walking into the kitchen, pulling on her silky robe as she passed the couch where it was draped.

"So were you expecting someone? In that getup, I mean," Kabuto asked, turning to watch her pace through the kitchen. She glanced back and frowned.

"Jealous?"

"It was a simple question."

"So was mine."

"Tenten," he started with a groan, standing up so he was in the middle of the living room with his arms dangling at his sides. She sauntered over to him until she was directly in front of him, just close enough for him to feel her body heat on his chest. She ran her index finger down his chest and smiled teasingly.

"You know, jealousy's kind of hot," she purred softly. Kabuto put one hand on his hip and shook his head.

"Don't start this now. Last time you started teasing me there was no follow through."

"And you were angry with me for a week," she grinned. He sighed.

"I'm worried we're going to get caught," he whispered. She stood up on her tip-toes to make up for the height difference and kissed him gently.

"We won't. I have the best surgeon in the world next to me who can keep us both out of trouble," she said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Come on. Don't be angry with me."

"It's hard to be angry with such a sick person," he replied gently, his hands still kept to himself. The noise that came from her throat made him glad he didn't have his arms around her. She wrenched her arms from his neck and stomped her foot on the ground angrily.

"You're the one cutting people up and _I'm _the one who's sick?" she demanded. He looked at her, unblinking from behind his glasses. He didn't judge her. He never did. He was hardly qualified. Both of them belonged in the same boat destined for hell. They belonged together in a sick, demented kind of way.

"That was _one person_."

"So far," she grumbled. "He had it coming."

"The redhead?"

"He did!" she insisted. Glancing over to the front door, she crossed the room quickly and locked it. "He was…suspicious."

"If I'll recall, he got spooked and tried to call the cops on you."

"For whatever reason," she muttered, crossing her arms. Kabuto crossed the room and rubbed her arms.

"But that's past. Forget about it, alright?"

"Why, because soon there'll be someone new to carve up?" she asked, looking up at him with confused eyes. He frowned deeply.

"That's not what I meant."

"But it's going to come to that. Shikamaru…doesn't want me anymore."

"He's a moron," Kabuto muttered, kissing her forehead as she bowed her head in sorrow.

"He refuses to see me anymore," she whispered, anger entering her voice. Kabuto tensed. He knew that tone. It was dangerous.

"You'd better never leave me." The voice she used now was reserved for her purest, strongest anger. It brought chills to Kabuto's bones.

"I wasn't planning on it," he said quietly. Tenten looked up at him again, her anger completely dissipated.

"Good," she whispered, bringing his face down to hers and kissing him gently, then urgently. He knew this would have happened sooner or later. It always did when she got angry. He supposed he was lucky he was always around when she was angry.

Later, when he found himself watching her as she lay on her stomach next to him, covered in sheets, her hair dishevelled and falling around her face, she drew designs on her pillow with her index finger.

He picked up his glasses, studied them to ensure they were clean, and sighed before putting them back on. "You're a black widow, Tenten."

"Why do you say that?"

"Every man you sleep with dies."

"That's not true," she replied, glancing at him with a soft smile.

Kabuto smirked. "My time's coming."

"Not for a long time," she assured him, leaning over his chest to kiss his nose. "I still need you."

"But all the others…"

"Unfortunate coincidences," she finished, drawing new designs on his bare chest. "I've only killed one of them," she explained, resting her chin on her hands which were folded on his chest. He glanced down at her through his lenses and sighed.

"The redhead."

"Yes. Gaara. The others died soon after for whatever reason. Drug habits. Car accidents. Not my fault."

"Whatever you say, ma'am," Kabuto muttered.

Tenten sighed and turned over so her back was to him. Outside, the sun was setting.

Kabuto kissed her bare shoulder. "I'm staying here tonight," he told her softly. She didn't respond. By that, he knew he was allowed.

Removing his glasses, Kabuto took in a deep breath, and dropped into sleep.

…


End file.
